Advancing the Black Community Together
Our strong partnerships and relationships with our funding and community partners allow us to deliver the necessary skills, networking and mentorship to Black entrepreneurs. These vital relationships fortify the Black business community, while providing approaches to overcome systemic barriers.
Our Funding and Business Partners
Meet Our Community Partners
These community service organizations support BACEL’s training and skill development programming.
Sisters Abygail, Alexandria and Ashleigh Montague started Black-Owned Hamilton to create an open resource for themselves and their community to find and support Black-owned businesses in the Greater Hamilton Ontario Area (GHA).
BLK Owned is tailored to a specific audience – businesses in the beginning stages on their growth path. It offers entrepreneurs ages 18-39 a program that focuses on operationalizing their businesses after the startup phase. Encouraging participants to take actionable steps towards growth and creating a sustainable business.
The program is designed to be culturally relevant and is delivered with a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens. For more information, contact admin@blkowned.ca.
Alberta’s de Sedulous Women Leaders (dSWL) is on an ambitious drive to grow more women leaders and empower women through entrepreneurship. dSWL creates a safe space where Black women, women of colour, immigrant women entrepreneurs (whichever way they self-identify) meet, connect, network, learn, collaborate, and find meaningful business resources to help them grow, scale and expand their ventures. Read more about their work at www.sedulouswomenleaders.net.
The EDGE Program offers Black youth (from 16 and 19) and junior (from 7-10) participants a unique and transformative experience. The program empowers participants to develop and grow their social and professional engagement skills.
EDGE runs throughout the winter, spring and summer sessions. It offers a series of diverse workshops that expose participants to information and techniques not offered in a conventional classroom. Conducted in a safe, non-judgmental environment where mutual respect and peer support are promoted, workshops focus on leadership, team building and includes a weekend retreat.
At the end of this program, participants experience a formal presentation ball where they’re reintroduced to family and friends as graduates of the program.
The Jean Augustine Centre (JAC) works to empower young women to improve their lives and have a positive impact on the world around them. The JAC offers in-person and online programming to young women and girls across Canada.
The Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine established the JAC in June 2014 because she saw a need to create a space where young women and girls could thrive and be supported to reach their full potential.
Early in life, Cecil Henry, owner and operator of Natural Image Photography, discovered that he could combine his entrepreneurial dreams with his profound love of the art of photography to form a successful business. He now recommends photography as a positive vehicle to delve into entrepreneurship.
Cecil’s impressive body of work includes written articles published in wedding magazines (Dream Bride), a photoshoot with the Toronto Raptors basketball team and photoshoots at a variety of significant events in the GTA’s Black community.
He also takes pride in tutoring Black youth in both mathematics and science including a program jointly sponsored by York University and Tennis Canada.
With more than 25 years of combined experience, Urban Rez’s Roderick Brereton and Farley Flex offer a wide range of intercultural conflict management workshops and seminars designed to enrich the client group.
They have delivered programming to service providers such as the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Police Services & the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, OPSEU, Canadian Training Institute, JVS, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, Beausoleil First Nation Reserve, the Ministry of the Attorney General, TAIBU Community Health Centre, Frontier College, Promoting Education and Community Health, Evergreen Brickworks, Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office, Goodwill Employment Services, the United Way and various iterations at Toronto Community Housing.
In addition, they have trained the staff at various service organizations including Toronto District School Board, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, For Youth Initiative, Frontier College, Ontario Independent Police Review Director, Doorsteps Neighbourhood Services and Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto.